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THILL COUPLING- No. 337,710. Patented Mar. 9, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

STEPHEN G. SMITH, OF HANNIBAL, MISSOURI.

THILL-COUPLIQNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,710, dated March 9, 1886, Application filed December 1], 1885. Serial No. 185,394. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN G. SMITH, of Hannibal, in the county of Marion and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in thill-couplings.

Many devices have hitherto been resorted to to prevent rattling and rapid wear. The device most commonly employed consists in inserting a spring of wire or soft rubber in a space between the eye of the thill and the axle clip. To render this device perfectly efiective it would be necessary to have the spring stiff enough to overcome the backpressure on the thill in going down grade, since, if the spring should give,the thill would be set free to vibrate and rattle. It has been observed, furthermore, that the wear caused by the rocking motion of the thills due to the motion of the horse is very slight as compared to the vibratory motion, which produces the rattling noise.

The object of my present invention is to provide a device which will effectually prevent the vibratory motion of the thill under all circumstances, which may be adjusted to take up wear, and will be durable and inexpensive.

WVith these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section centrally through the clip and thill-eye transversely to the axle; and Fig. 2 is adetached view of the plunger, the spring, and the follower or screw plug.

A represents an axle-clip of ordinary construction, having a pair of forwardly-extending arms or ears, a, formed integral therewith, between which the end of the thill-iron B is secured. The end of the thill-iron is provided with an eye, h, through which the securingbolt 0 extends. The bolt 0 extends through a smooth perforation in one of the arms a,

and is threaded at its end to engage a female threaded perforation in the other arm.

My invention pertains to the portion of the thill-iron through which the eye 12 extends. It is provided with a perforated boss, D, the hole in which communicates with the interior of the eye I). The bossD is preferablylocated on the under side of the thill-iron, and is provided with an internal screw-thread for a greater or lesser distance from its outer end. lVithin the hollow boss D is located, in contact with the securing-bolt O, a plunger or bearing,E. The bearing E is preferably constructed of brass or other soft metal, and its end in contact with the bolt 0 is formed concave to give it a more extended bearing thereon. A screw-threaded plug or follower, F, is adapted to be inserted in the threaded end of the boss D, and between the end of the screwthreaded plug and the plunger is a spring, f. The latter may be either a spiral spring or a rubber cushion, or any other kind of spring adapted to the purpose. I find it convenient to use a spiral spring in the manner shown.

By sc&wing the plug F in, the pressure of the springfon the plunger is increased, and the latter is thereby forced firmly into contact with the bolt, and effectually prevents the vibration of the thill-iron, and consequently prevents the rattling. As the face of the plunger becomes worn by the rocking motion of the thills, it may be readily set up to its normal pressure by turning the plug F farther in.

To prevent the unscrewing of the plug F it is found desirable to use a lock-nut or washer, G, in connection therewith.

Although the boss D is here shown on the under side of the thill-iron, it may occupy other positions either above or below, and other slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Ina thill-coupling, the combination,with a thill-iron having a boss, the latter provided with a chamber extending from the outer end thereof to the eye of the thill-iron, of a plunger or hearing made of unyielding material, located within the boss, and having a curved face resting in contact with the bolt 0, a spring for holding the plunger or hearing in position, and a screw-plug for closing the outervend of the boss and forming a seat for the spring, substantially as set forth.

2. In a thill-coupling, athill-iron provided with a hollow female threaded boss, a plunger,

a spring, andascrew-plug or follower'adapted to work in the boss, and alook-nnt or washer on the screw-plug, the whole constructed and arranged substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 1

STEPHEN G. SMITH. Vlitnesses:

J. N. BAsKETT, J AMES HALLETT. 

